If you’re traveling soon, some grueling wait times at the airport may be in your future thanks to a partial government shutdown. But to make matters even more complicated, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not currently updating its sites during the partial shutdown, meaning fliers can’t easily check TSA wait times before heading to the airport.
“Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed,” the Department of Homeland Security, which manages TSA, wrote in a Feb. 17 statement. “This website was last updated on February 17, 2026 and will not be updated until after funding is enacted. As such, information on this website may not be up to date.”
Why is the TSA not updating its site?
While TSA sites, which includes the MyTSA mobile app, can’t currently be relied upon, airports are facing another major issue due to the lapse in funding: staff shortages. Two weeks ago, TSA employees received only partial paychecks. And now, about 50,000 airport security employees are working for free. As many are choosing to stay home, a number of airports simply don’t have enough employees. That, coupled with a surge in jetsetting Spring Breakers, has made for some very long lines.
Over the weekend ABC News reported, airports like Houston’s Hobby Airport, George Bush International Airport, New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana, Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, all were plagued by excessively long wait times.
How can fliers check wait times without TSA sites?
Even though wait times aren’t being updated on the TSA website, there are still some other ways to prepare to head to the airport. Checking the actual airport’s website can be a good place to start, as most U.S. airports frequently update their sites with travel advisories, wait time updates, and other pertinent information.
TSAWaitTimes.com is another helpful resource, as it provides travelers with up-to-date information on TSA wait times. In addition, the site features a list of the airports with the current longest wait times, shows a map of current airport delays, and enables travelers to search for any airport.
Currently, a message on the site reads: “Due to the ongoing government shutdown, travelers should anticipate longer security lines and potential flight delays. Please plan to arrive at the airport 30–60 minutes earlier than usual. Pack light if possible, download your airline’s app, and keep your phone charged to stay informed of real-time updates and communications.”
Another popular site is FlightAware, a comprehensive real-time tracking tool, which gives travelers both arrival and departure times on all U.S. flights. The site also features a list of all current airport delays “within, into, or out of the United States” to help fliers get where they need to be on time.
When will TSA sites be up and running?
As the shutdown continues, no announcements have been made about when funding for TSA will return or when TSA will begin actively updating its sites. However, some airline executives are making pleas to Congress, pressing for lawmakers to reach a deal as soon as possible.
“More than 2.7 million people cleared through TSA yesterday, but too many had to wait in extraordinarily long—and painfully slow—lines at checkpoints,” said Chris Sununu, president and CEO of the Airlines for America trade group, in a statement to AP News on Monday.
Sununu continued, “It’s unacceptable to have wait times of 2 or 3 hours. And it’s unacceptable that TSA officers will have $0 in their paychecks this week.”
